(BBC) Russian prosecutors have asked for three years' in prison for three women musicians accused of inciting religious hatred during a protest in a cathedral. The three members of the punk band Pussy Riot played a song attacking Russian leader Vladimir Putin in front of an altar on 21 February. They told the court their performance was a political act, not aimed at hurting the feelings of believers. The singer Madonna and others have voiced concern about the case.
(BBC) A Russian judge has ordered a new investigation into the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, following the acquittal of three men.
(Guardian) Siberian gas started flowing into the EU yesterday, ending the bitter dispute between Russia and Ukraine that shredded both countries' reputations as fuel suppliers and left Europe desperately seeking to shift its energy policies away from dependence on Russian monopolies.
(L.A. Times) The Ukrainian vessel's cargo was headed for Kenya, according to that country and Ukraine. But U.S. officials and others suspect southern Sudan's fledgling army was to receive the tanks.
(Christian Science Monitor) Russia sent two long-range bombers to Venezuela Wednesday and will send warships and soldiers for joint exercises in November.
(Civil Georgia) Russia and South Ossetia will sign a military agreement next week allowing Russia to set up a military base in the breakaway region, Tarzan Kokoity, the acting vice-speaker of the South Ossetian parliament, said on August 29.
(Deutsche Welle) President Dmitry Medvedev met his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao and the leaders of four ex-Soviet Central Asian nations in a bid to secure support for Russia its standoff with the West over Georgia.
TBILISI-SUKHUMI HIGHWAY, Georgia (Moscow Times) Georgia and Russia angrily accused each other of breaching a truce as they mourned for their dead Wednesday.
(The Moscow Times) In an indication that Russia may end mandatory HIV tests for foreign residents, government officials said Thursday that they were considering replicating pending U.S. legislation that would lift a ban on HIV-positive visitors to that country.
(Moscow News) The biggest country in the world looks set to get even bigger as Russia prepares an application to extend its borders over 1.2 million square kilometres of Arctic waters.
(BBC News) The murder of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko was carried out with the backing of the Russian state, Whitehall sources have told the BBC.
MOSCOW (AP) - A New York-based rights watchdog said Wednesday that Russian security forces are responsible for widespread human rights abuses in the southern province of Ingushetia near Chechnya.
